Tycoon Faces Jail in UK's Most Expensive Divorce Amid "Secret Family" Claims

A high-stakes divorce case that could become one of the most expensive in British legal history has taken a dramatic turn, as Russian tycoon Michael Kroupeev faces a potential jail sentence for allegedly flouting High Court orders. His estranged wife, Elena Kroupeeva, has accused him of concealing a secret second family in Russia for two decades while deliberately obstructing efforts to finalize their multi-million-pound divorce.

The 36-year marriage of the Kroupeevs collapsed in late 2023 when Elena claims she uncovered her husband's alleged second family. Now, the bitter dispute has moved to the High Court, where Ms. Kroupeeva is seeking to have her "exceedingly wealthy" husband imprisoned for contempt of court.

Justin Warshaw KC, representing Ms. Kroupeeva, told the court that Mr. Kroupeev has "brazenly" ignored court directives, hindering attempts to assess his vast business empire and refusing to pay maintenance or contribute to his wife's legal fees. He now allegedly owes over £800,000. "He clearly considers himself to be above the law of England and Wales," Mr. Warshaw asserted, describing his conduct as "a concerning pattern of evasion, contempt for judicial authority, and refusal to meet his responsibilities."

Mr. Kroupeev's barrister, Michael Glaser KC, has denied the allegations of a secret family, calling them "not relevant" to the current contempt hearing. He argued that his client's non-compliance was partly due to a court-imposed freezing order that hampered his financial dealings, describing the attempt to jail Mr. Kroupeev as "Kafkaesque." Mr. Glaser also offered an apology for his client's past non-compliance, promising full disclosure of assets within 28 days. He added that Mr. Kroupeev was unable to attend the hearing in person due to high blood pressure, preventing him from flying.

However, Ms. Kroupeeva's legal team paints a different picture, claiming Mr. Kroupeev stopped all maintenance payments when they were increased from £10,000 to £19,084 per month in March. "Nothing short of a period of imprisonment will be an effective punishment," Mr. Warshaw stated, accusing the billionaire of "consistent, brazen, and unremorseful contempt of court." He also dismissed Mr. Kroupeev's 28-day compliance offer as "fanciful."

Mr. Kroupeev followed the proceedings via videolink from Cyprus, while Ms. Kroupeeva was present in court with her legal team. The court now faces the challenging task of untangling this complex financial and personal dispute, with the potential for a landmark ruling that could see a prominent figure jailed in a civil case.